The Chinese entry at the European Solar Decathlon from students at Tongji University draws in the crowds with its beautiful bamboo outer shell.

Constructed from scratch in just under two weeks, the elegant but strong form of the Para Ecohouse creates an impressive dwelling for a couple to live comfortably in a sustainable manner. The simple architecture of an encased inner hub and a modular bamboo frame can easily be replicated and arranged into different schemes. Here, the design is both viable for mass distribution and remains flexible enough to customize to create a unique structure.

The home pays respect to the Daoist principle of balance, bringing together passive and active forces which are represented throughout the house. Energy creation and efficiency measures becomes a source of pride for the Tongji team. However, the self-sufficiency ethos of the design is intended to reference autonomy, and residents are thus placed in line with western philosophy emphasizing the individual. (Who knew one prefab house could be so deep!)

By glance, the resulting structure is both sturdy and beautiful, and it finds a perfect harmony between the man-made and nature.